Centreville, Virginia

Centreville is a census-designated place (CDP) in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. It is a suburb of Washington, D.C., the nation's capital. As of the 2020 census, Centreville had a population of 73,518, making it the most-populous community in Fairfax County. The Lanes sold convicted servants, which may explain why the tavern had the same name as a London prison. The small stream that passed near the tavern was named the River Thames, another London association. Another reason for it being named Newgate was the fact that it was a "new gate" to the western territories.

18th century

The town of Centerville, shortly later spelled Centreville, was established in 1792 on the turnpike road at the village of Newgate by the Virginia General Assembly in response to petitions by local landowners. The petitioners reasoned that a town on the turnpike road leading from the Northwest Territory and centrally located to Alexandria, Colchester, Dumfries, Middleburg, George Town (later Georgetown), Fauquier Court House (later Warrenton), and Leesburg would be convenient. The town acquired its name due to its central location. James Hardage Lane, one of the landowners, conceived the idea of the town as a way to provide financial support to his widow and their children. At the town's inception, it was within the boundary of Loudoun County, Virginia, and became part of Fairfax County, Virginia, in 1798 when the boundary between the two counties shifted.

Town development established a pattern of mixed residential and commercial use. Frame houses, several taverns, stores, blacksmith shops, tan yards, and a school house were constructed on the 1/2-acre town lots.

American Civil War

right|thumb|Main street and church guarded by [[Union Army in Centreville, in May 1862 at the beginning of the American Civil War]]

thumb|Departure from the old Homestead, an 1862 photograph depicting pro-[[Union (United States)|Union refugees]]

In the American Civil War, several battles were fought nearby including the First Battle of Manassas, the Second Battle of Manassas, and the Battle of Chantilly.

During the winter of 1861 and early 1862 the town was significantly fortified by the Confederacy and served as a supply depot for both sides at various points in the war, and is famous for being the site of the construction of the first railroad ever built exclusively for military use, the Centreville Military Railroad. Centreville was of significant strategic value due to its proximity to several important roads, while its position atop a high ridge provided a commanding view of the surrounding area. The town was frequently associated with Confederate Colonel John S. Mosby, whose partisan rangers used its hillsides and farms as a base of operations, leading to the sobriquet "Mosby's Confederacy".

20th and 21st centuries

Like much of Northern Virginia, Centreville experienced sustained population growth in the 1990s and 2000s. In 2021, the town has grown significantly. There are numerous shopping centers built around the town center.

Geography

right|Location of Centreville, Virginia

Centreville is located at (38.842470, −77.442621).

According to the United States Census Bureau (2010), the CDP has a total area of 12.04 square miles (31.2 km2), 99% of it land.

Climate

Like Washington D.C., Centreville features a mid-latitude, four seasons version of the humid subtropical climate (Köppen: Cfa), typical of the Mid-Atlantic region, including strong hot-summer humid continental climate (Köppen: Dfa) influences under the Köppen system. Winters are chilly and damp, with frost at night and some snow, while summers are hot and wet, with subtropical temperatures although these temperatures are hardly more bearable than in the south.

Demographics

Racial and ethnic composition

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;"

|+Centreville CDP, Virginia – Racial and ethnic composition

!Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)

!Pop 2000

!Pop 2010

!style="background-color: #ffffb3;" |Pop 2020

!% 2000

!% 2010

!style="background-color: #ffffb3;" |% 2020

|White alone (NH)

|31,539

|35,573

|style='background: #ffffe6; |29,997

|64.81%

|50.01%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |40.80%

|Black or African American alone (NH)

|4,231

|5,114

|style='background: #ffffe6; |5,488

|8.69%

|7.19%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |7.46%

|Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)

|109

|111

|style='background: #ffffe6; |113

|0.22%

|0.16%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.15%

|Asian alone (NH)

|6,921

|18,217

|style='background: #ffffe6; |21,976

|14.22%

|25.61%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |29.89%

|Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)

|21

|78

|style='background: #ffffe6; |64

|0.04%

|0.11%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.09%

|Other race alone (NH)

|124

|193

|style='background: #ffffe6; |421

|0.25%

|0.27%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.57%

|Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)

|1,255

|2,351

|style='background: #ffffe6; |3,637

|2.58%

|3.30%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |4.95%

|Hispanic or Latino (any race)

|4,461

|9,498

|style='background: #ffffe6; |11,822

|9.17%

|13.35%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |16.08%

|Total

|48,661

|71,135

|style='background: #ffffe6; |73,518

|100.00%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |100.00%

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Centreville had a population of 73,518, with 25,931 housing units and 25,287 households.

! Race !! Number !! Percent

| White || 31,638 || 43.0%

| Black or African American || 5,652 || 7.7%

| American Indian and Alaska Native || 368 || 0.5%

| Asian || 22,081 || 30.0%

| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 66 || 0.1%

| Some other race || 5,804 || 7.9%

| Two or more races || 7,909 || 10.8%

| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 11,822 || 16.1%

100.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.0% lived in rural areas.

2022 American Community Survey

According to the 2022 American Community Survey, the largest ancestry was the 10.6% who had English ancestry; 41.0% spoke a language other than English at home, and 33.4% were born outside the United States, 80.1% of whom were naturalized citizens.

The area is served by several Fairfax Connector bus routes connecting to the Metrorail system: 640, 641, 642.

Notable people

Megan Ambuhl, former U.S. Army soldier connected to Abu Ghraib torture and prisoner abuse
Chris Beatty, wide receivers coach, Chicago Bears
Jayson Blair, former New York Times journalist accused of plagiarism
David L. Brewer III, retired U.S. Navy admiral and former superintendent of Los Angeles Unified School District
Mike Glennon, American football player
Sean Glennon, former football player
Helon Habila, professor and author
Abul Hussam, inventor of Sono arsenic filter and winner of the Grainger Challenge Prize Gold Award in 2007
George Juskalian, decorated U.S. Army officer and veteran of World War II, the Vietnam War, and the Korean War
S.C. Megale, author and screenwriter
Will Montgomery, former professional football player
Dustin Pague, professional mixed martial artist
Ludacris, American rapper and actor; attended Centreville High School for one year
Eddie Royal, wide receiver for the Chicago Bears; graduated from Westfield High School
Scott Secules, NFL football player
Brandon Snyder, MLB 1st round draft pick in 2005 by the Baltimore Orioles; attended Westfield High School
Ormond Stone, astronomer, mathematician, and educator who founded the Fairfax County Public Library
Richard Taylor, professional American football player
William J. Thaler, experimental physicist
Don Warren, former professional American football player
Sebra Yen, figure skater
Nitin Kalluru, philanthropist, millionaire, feminist

Education

Primary and secondary schools

Residents of Centreville are zoned to schools in the Fairfax County Public Schools.

Centreville has two middle schools, Liberty Middle School and Ormond Stone Middle School. Some Centreville middle school students also go to Rocky Run Middle School.

Centreville High School, which is located within the postal boundaries of Clifton, serves much of Centreville. Some of Centreville is served by Chantilly High School and by Westfield High School, the latter opening in 2000. Both Chantilly High School and Westfield High School are located in Chantilly.

The only high school still within Centreville proper is Mountain View Alternative High School. It occupies the building formerly used by Centreville Elementary School.

Although a Loudoun County school, Cardinal Ridge Elementary has a Centreville address.

Public libraries

thumb|Centreville Regional Library

Fairfax County Public Library operates the Centreville Regional Library in the CDP.

Nearby towns and communities

Chantilly-South Riding (1 mile NW)
Clifton (5 miles SE)
Fair Lakes (4.5 miles E)
Manassas (6 miles S)
Oakton (10 miles E)

Notes

External links

"Why is it named Centreville?", Ghosts of DC, October 17, 2013